This article appeared in the October 2019 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.

Thousands of veterans return home from the battlefield each year — many to Michigan and many with no clear plan for what to do next. Careers in manufacturing help provide these returning service men and women with a purpose and stability as they integrate themselves back into the community.

If you’re looking for your next hire, look no further than your own hometown heroes. According to the U.S. Department of Labor and the Manufacturing Institute:

• Veterans have an accelerated learning curve and rigorous training comes naturally.
• The skills they learned on the battlefield are a unique resource for manufacturers when translated to the shop floor.
• Nobody knows the importance of teamwork like someone faced with life and death decisions every day.
• Veterans are natural leaders, ready to assume more responsibilities and advance in their new careers.
• Veterans promote diversity and inclusion, having worked alongside all races, genders and backgrounds.
• Your local heroes understand the rigors of tight schedules, the challenges of adversity and how to make the most of limited resources — they’ll perform under pressure for you.
• The military leads the way in technological advancement — why not hire those who have worked with the top tech trends in the industry?
• You can make veterans the public faces for your business — trustworthy individuals with class, discipline and integrity.

For more information on ways your business can be a veteran employer, contact the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs at 517-481-8141.